1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improvements in microwave ovens, and more particularly, pertains to a new and improved method of cooking of meat in a microwave oven.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Those concerned with microwave heating of meat have long recognized the need to accurately determine the temperature which is indicative of the internal doneness of the meat being cooked in a microwave oven. The present invention fills this need.
Past prior art devices have not been extremely reliable in determining the temperature of meat being cooked in a microwave oven. Initial prior art attempts at determining the temperature of meat was to insert a thermometer into the piece of meat being cooked which was not affected by the microwave energy radiation, but the disadvantage was that the thermometer only indicated the internal temperature of the meat at one particular location and was not a true overall indication of the equilibrium internal temperature of the meat which is indicative of internal doneness of the meat.
Another current prior art device for measuring the internal temperature of meat being cooked is to insert a temperature probe into the meat while in the microwave oven heating cavity which connects to the control circuitry of the microwave oven. While the temperature probe is accurate in indicating the temperature of the meat being cooked by microwave energy, the probe only senses the temperature of the immediate area surrounding the probe and does not take into account the equilibrium state of the internal temperature of the meat. If the temperature of the meat is not uniform and the probe is placed at a hot spot in the meat, the readings from the temperature probe are not indicative of the mean internal temperature of the meat.
Further, the probe which is inserted into the meat is cumbersome and bulky for the cook who is trying to monitor the temperature of the meat during the microwave cooking in the microwave oven heating cavity.
This invention, a method of cooking meat in a microwave oven, overcomes the disadvantages of prior art by providing an accurate method for determining the temperature of meat which is indicative of the internal doneness of the meat.